Development Targets and Efficiency in Improving Education and Health Outcomes in Mexico’s Southern States

Jayasuriya, Ruwan and Wodon, Quentin (2003): Development Targets and Efficiency in Improving Education and Health Outcomes in Mexico’s Southern States.

Abstract

Unlike Mexico as a whole, the south (that is, the states of Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca) may well not reach many of the MDGs. The objective of this paper is to document this assertion and discuss some of the constraints toward reaching the MDGs, as well as some initiatives recently taken to make faster progress. In the first section of the paper, we provide a brief diagnostic regarding how much progress has already been achieved toward reaching the MDGs in Mexico as a whole and in the south, and in some cases (for example, for poverty) we estimate how much additional progress is likely to be achieved in the years ahead. Thereafter, we focus on the question of whether improvements in efficiency in the provision of basic services would help in improving outcomes in the south, with a focus on health and education. Finally, we discuss the existing evidence on the impact that programs such as the Education, Health, and Nutrition Program (Programa de Educación, Salud y Alimentación—PROGRESA) have had on progress toward reaching some of these goals.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Millennium Development Goals; Mexico; Southern States; Poverty; Education; Health
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty > I30 - General; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O18 - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis ; Housing ; Infrastructure; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I20 - General; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I10 - General

References

Bevan, D. L. 2001. “Tanzania Public Expenditure Review: 2000/01 – the Fiscal Deficit and Sustainability of Fiscal Policy.” World Bank, Washington, D.C. Processed.

Behrman, J. R. 2000. “Literature Review on Interactions between Health, Education, and Nutrition and the Potential Benefits of Intervening Simultaneously in All Three.” International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C. Processed.

Christiaensen, L., C. Scott, and Q. Wodon. 2002. “Development Targets and Costs.” In J. Klugman, ed., Poverty Reduction Strategy Sourcebook. The World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Coelli, T. 1996. A Guide to FRONTIER Version 4.1: A Computer Program for Stochastic Frontier Production and Cost Function Estimation. CEPA Working Paper 96/07. New South Wales, Australia.

Evans, D. B., A. Tandon, C. J. L. Murray, and J. A., Lauer. 2000. “The Comparative Efficiency of National Health Systems in Producing Health: An Analysis of 191 Countries.” GPE Discussion Paper Series No. 29. World Health Organization, Geneva.

Gertler, P. 2000. “Final Report: An Evaluation of the Impact of Progresa on Health Care Utilization and Health Status.” International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C. Processed.

Hicks, N., and Q. Wodon. 2002. “Reaching the Millennium Development Goals in Latin America: Preliminary Results.” En Breve, No. 8, Latin America and Caribbean Region Vice Presidency, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Jayasuriya , R., and Q. Wodon. 2002. “Explaining Country Efficiency in Improving Health and Education Indicators.” Background paper for the World Bank’s World Development Report 2002–03, Washington, D.C.

Murray, C., J. Kreuser, and W. Whang. 1994. “Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and Policy Choices: Investing in Health Systems.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization 74(4):663–74.

Schultz, T. P. 2000. “Final Report: The Impact of Progresa on School Enrollments.” International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C. Processed.

Skoufias, E. 2002. “PROGRESA and its Impacts on the Human Capital and Welfare of Households in Rural Mexico: A Synthesis of the Results of an Evaluation by IFPRI.” International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C.

Wodon, Q., R. Castro-Fernandez, G. Lopez-Acevedo, C. Siaens, C. Sobrado, and J.-P. Tre. 2001. “Poverty in Latin America: Trends (1986–1998) and Determinants.” Cuadernos de Economia 114:127–54.

Wodon, Q., B. de la Briere, C. Siaens, and S. Yitzhaki. 2003. “The Impact of Public Transfers on Inequality and Social Welfare: Comparing Mexico’s PROGRESA to Other Government Programs.” Research on Economic Inequality. 10:147-171